When Tasha Miller transitioned from stay-at-home mom to Keller Williams agent in November, she never imagined how rewarding a career in real estate would be. In just eight months, she has generated $3.5 million in volume and points to her sphere as the leading generator of business.
Following her interview on the Monday, June 12 CGI call, the KW blog team reached out to Tasha in order to dive even deeper into how her sphere is quickly helping her build the business of her dreams. Below, Tasha shares the creative ways other agents can connect with theirs as well!
KW Blog: How do you feel your experience as a stay-at-home mom primed you for a successful career in real estate?
Tasha Miller: It helped me become an expert multi tasker. When you're a stay-at-home mom, you do everything from cleaning up throw up to presenting at a PTA meeting. It's fast paced and that's very much how it is now. I like the variety and the project management.
KW: How important has your sphere been in helping build your business?
TM: Very! Five out of 12 closed or current listings in my pipeline originated from my sphere.
KW: Why do you think agents hesitate to reach out to their sphere? Did you struggle at first? How did you get past it?
TM: I think there’s always a fear of failure and some people don’t want to stick their neck out and be embarrassed later. I’ve never considered failing at real estate a possibility and have always told myself that I am going to be the best at what I do. I’ve found it easier to reach out to people who know and love me.
KW: Could you briefly share one of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had when you’ve tapped into your sphere and landed business?
TM: In December I sent Peter (my favorite plumber) a note to let him know I'd gotten my license, and asked him to share my cards if he had a client who mentioned moving. When I recommended him for local jobs, I ask the homeowner to tell Peter I sent them and also send him a quick text that says "just recommended you to a new client!" In May, he was finishing plumbing work at a listing that was about to go live. I was managing a few different contractors for my clients (the homeowners), who were out of town. I walked him toward the door and he said, "My wife and I need to move, and we'd like you to sell our house."
KW: How did you begin reaching out to your sphere?
TM: I have three boys who have played a lot of sports throughout the years that I’ve been very involved in. (17 years X 3 kids in different grades/teams = LOADS of contacts.) I've always liked organizing these teams into spreadsheets and have kept the original files. When I became a real estate agent, I assembled all of these old contacts into one big database (spreadsheet) and added columns labeled Met, Unmet, Contractorand the level of support I thought they'd be to my business, A, B, or C. Each group received a different set of touches. As, for instance, received handwritten letters with three business cards inside. The note informed them that I was in the business and asked them to share business cards with friends who might need help with real estate. I finished by uploading the contacts into myKW and setting up touch campaigns.
KW: What are the most powerful mediums you’ve used to tap into your sphere?
TM: Events and social media.
I host an event called “Girlfriends Gathering” at my house every two months and invite 40-50 of my closest girlfriends. When they come over, I provide the cheese and wine and we talk about what’s going on in their lives and what’s going on in mine (which always includes real estate). It’s an excellent way to remind them of what I do!
Also, I’m very active on social media. I try to keep 80 percent of the content on my personal page personal and every now and then share something business related. Our neighborhood has a private Facebook group that I’m a part of. It’s great because when I publish something, everyone sees it and I am able to friend people from the group.
KW: How else do you stay engaged with the contacts in your database and meet new ones?
TM: Community involvement is the best way to make and grow relationships. I joined the neighborhood Bunco group, started attending HOA board meetings, started a Facebook group for the Naperville Kayak Club and am applying to be a member of the Naperville Riverwalk Commission. One of my goals is to join Rotary this year. Another goal is to start a neighborhood running group that meets three times per week in the morning.
Also, door knocking has been a very effective way to remind people in my neighborhood that I’m in real estate! I was nervous the first time I door knocked and was surprised at how easy it was. I’ve knocked on hundreds of doors and have only had one instance when someone wasn’t interested in talking to me, and that’s because they already had a realtor. Everyone has been very welcoming and receptive and I’ve even had an instance where someone welcomed me into their home and told me that they were ready to put their home on the market!
KW: What has been the secret to your door knocking success?
TM: I only door knock in my neighborhood (unless I have a listing somewhere else, then I’ll door knock inviting people to the open house). I also bring a piece of value with me, like a bottle opener or nice calendar.
Here’s my standard door knocking script!
KW: What goals do you have for the future?
TM: I want to grow my business to a point where I can hire a transaction coordinator, have my husband on the team and if any of my sons want to join, they can. The Career Growth Initiative (CGI) is helping me get there!
The CGI helps you hit your big goal by taking your dream and breaking it down into daily, weekly and monthly goals that you need to hit. The idea of hitting my daily goal gets me out of the door.